Ottawa’s Yasir Naqvi expected to officially enter Ontario Liberal leadership race this weekend
Posted Jun 2, 2023 09:54:14 AM.
Last Updated Jun 2, 2023 11:23:35 AM.
Yasir Naqvi is expected to announce his bid to lead the Ontario Liberal Party at a special event in Ottawa this weekend.
The Ottawa Centre MP, who has already stepped down from his role as parliamentary secretary, is holding a pancake breakfast at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall in Ottawa at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
In a release, Naqvi says he’s been travelling around the province over the past several months, meeting Liberals and hearing the concerns of Ontarians.
Naqvi says one thing is clear — people want a change for the better.
So, he is issuing a call to arms to rebuild the Liberal party in order to ‘defeat Doug Ford in 2026.’
Nate Erskine-Smith, Liberal MP for the Toronto riding of Beaches-East York and Kingston and the Islands Liberal MPP Ted Hsu have already announced leadership bids, while Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has set up an exploratory committee before making any decisions.
The deadline to register for the leadership contest is Sept. 5 and party members will vote for a new leader on Dec. 2.
The new leader will replace Steven Del Duca, who resigned after the party failed to win enough seats in last year’s election to have official party status — for the second campaign in a row.
